When I set out this year's veggie garden, it never occurred to me that 6 eggplants, 5 peppers, 4 cucumbers, 6 string beans, 3 zucchini, and 8 tomato plants, plus a few 4-inch pots of herbs, would pose a problem. The seedlings looked so innocent sitting in the wide swaths of dirt recommended by my gardening manuals. Four months later, the puny plants had morphed to monsters and … [Read more...] about Sláinte!: A Peck of Pickled Peppers
Slainte
Chef Doherty’s Unconventional Fare
An Irish American chef will be responsible for feeding some 30,000 Democrats. ℘℘℘ It's a big year for Boston. For the first time in U.S. history, the city will be hosting a presidential convention. From July 26-29 at Boston's state-of-the-art FleetCenter sports stadium, the Democratic National Convention will welcome some 5,000 delegates from 56 state and territorial … [Read more...] about Chef Doherty’s Unconventional Fare
Sláinte: The Queen of Flowers
One Sunny June afternoon several years ago, I stood on a Wicklow cliff overlooking the Irish Sea. All around me, mounds of wild roses covered the ground. No genetically crafted sterile blooms were these. Each delicate flower -- and there were hundreds upon hundreds crowding the canes that tumbled in every direction -- had but a few scarlet petals surrounding a central golden … [Read more...] about Sláinte: The Queen of Flowers
The Night of the Big Portion
In Ireland, the last night of the year was called Oiche na Cada Moire, The Night of the Big Portion. It was common practice to have a big supper that night to ensure a full cupboard and plenty to eat in the twelve months to come. Of course, the custom dated back to a time when crop success meant the difference between feast and famine. Spells and incantations were invoked to … [Read more...] about The Night of the Big Portion
Sláinte! Hooray for St. Stephen and Up Sraid Eoin!
I look forward to the Christmas holidays more than anyone I've ever known. In addition to the main events, my birthday falls smack dab in the middle between Christmas and the New Year. All my life I've heard people say, "Oh you poor dear." Even when I was a child, I thought those naysayers were clueless, because while most children get only one 24-hour period to enjoy their … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Hooray for St. Stephen and Up Sraid Eoin!